AuthorTopic: Jim Robkin--How many remember him from the Sutton era? (Read 9287 times)

Back when Eddie Sutton was coach, we had a man named Jim Robken who lead the HogWild Band. That man must have lived on sugar and caffeine. He had so much energy. He would get the band playing and then run around Barnhill Arena getting everybody worked up to a frenzy! I wonder if anyone knows where he is at these days. It would be great to have someone like that again......

He was honored at halftime at one our football games last season. He is still a band director somewhere. I loved him, he was terrific, running around the arena to the William Tell Overture. That was alot of fun, back then.

Set the stage for ya...Cotton Bowl 1990...Robkin struts across the field in a trench coat...(Announcer): "Sir. Sir. You cannot be on the field at this time."(Robkin, after whipping the trench coat and reveals his Razorback sweatshirt): "I'm with Arkansas and I can go wherever I want whenever I want." (starts walking off the field)(Announcer): "Sir, you can't leave your coat on the middle of the field."(Robkin): "My servant will get it." (walks off the field and snaps his fingers. The Razorback mascot runs on the field, grabs the trench coat and follows Robkin off.)

He is primarily responsible for the win against Danny Manning, Larry Brown, and #6 Kansas around 1987, though I suppose William Mills had something to do with it too. I've never seen such carefully orchestrated pandemonium. When he finally broke out the WTO as a weapon during a timeout midway through the second half, after having the crowd screaming for it all game long, Kansas never knew what hit them.

The band and the crowd has been a pale shadow of itself ever since he left.

go to this link if you want to see what Jim Robken used to do at Hog Games! I was only 11 years old when this happened in Dallas at the SWC championship (Barnhill South!) against Texas, but I remember it like it was yesterday. My birthday is March 7th, and all I wanted every year when I was growing up was for my parents to take me to Dallas for the SWC championship! They always did and we always had my b-day during the tournament. Some of the best memories of Hog Sports I've ever had. When you watch this clip, it will give you chills!!!

go to this link if you want to see what Jim Robken used to do at Hog Games! I was only 11 years old when this happened in Dallas at the SWC championship (Barnhill South!) against Texas, but I remember it like it was yesterday. My birthday is March 7th, and all I wanted every year when I was growing up was for my parents to take me to Dallas for the SWC championship! They always did and we always had my b-day during the tournament. Some of the best memories of Hog Sports I've ever had. When you watch this clip, it will give you chills!!!

The thing that video doesn't show is that the band would hold that last note on the WTO until robken got back to conduct it. Sometimes he'd be way up in the rafters on the other side of the arena, and the thing would just go on and on with the crowd going even more nuts.

go to this link if you want to see what Jim Robken used to do at Hog Games! I was only 11 years old when this happened in Dallas at the SWC championship (Barnhill South!) against Texas, but I remember it like it was yesterday. My birthday is March 7th, and all I wanted every year when I was growing up was for my parents to take me to Dallas for the SWC championship! They always did and we always had my b-day during the tournament. Some of the best memories of Hog Sports I've ever had. When you watch this clip, it will give you chills!!!

The thing that video doesn't show is that the band would hold that last note on the WTO until robken got back to conduct it. Sometimes he'd be way up in the rafters on the other side of the arena, and the thing would just go on and on with the crowd going even more nuts.

I was there from undergrad from 1976 through law school in 1983, and he helped make Barnhill what it was. You are right, with the Wm. Tell Overture, they would always hold the note till the end and you would always wonder how in the world he was going to make it back - but he always did. He was fantastic.

I totally agree about getting chills when this guy would go running around all over Barnhill. I have never seen the fans get that stirred up since he left. I would love to see that kind of excitement again. We were certainly a top program at that time in basketball!!!! Thanks for the video......!

go to this link if you want to see what Jim Robken used to do at Hog Games! I was only 11 years old when this happened in Dallas at the SWC championship (Barnhill South!) against Texas, but I remember it like it was yesterday. My birthday is March 7th, and all I wanted every year when I was growing up was for my parents to take me to Dallas for the SWC championship! They always did and we always had my b-day during the tournament. Some of the best memories of Hog Sports I've ever had. When you watch this clip, it will give you chills!!!

The thing that video doesn't show is that the band would hold that last note on the WTO until robken got back to conduct it. Sometimes he'd be way up in the rafters on the other side of the arena, and the thing would just go on and on with the crowd going even more nuts.

I wish that was on there! I remember all the opponents fans would all be like "What the Hell is going on?!" Every team knew that they were about to get stomped before the ball was even tipped! This guy was full of energy and redbull hadn't even been invented yet. Sometimes during the games you could go to the concession stand during timeouts and Robken would be sprinting through the concourses on his way from the upper deck back to the floor. IT WAS INSANE! He probably could've run for state senate and might have won!

One of my favorite things he used to do was during a timeout, all the refs used to gather in the middle of the court to talk. Robken and 4 or 5 tuba players used to run in circles around them while playing the fight song. Everyone used to laugh their a$$es off at just about anything he did. A true innovater of some of the things band leaders do today.

Well I'll go ahead and throw my identity out there. My name is Justin Robken and I grew up here in Little Rock and went to the U of A briefly before they said my grades were too bad and asked me to leave and I ended up graduating from ASU. Still a donater and season ticket holder as our family has been since before I was born (34 years ago). Jim and my father were cousins so we are related but not sure what the title would be. I haven't seen Jim in years but I know that he did in fact have a little relationship with one of his graduate students at the U of A and was asked to leave because of it. Ironically they ended up getting married and if I'm not mistaken had a few children and still live in Ruston. I used to play golf with him when I was younger and his demeanor was the same as it was during games. He was definitely an asset to razorback athletics during his time on the hill. After seeing this thread, I may try to contact him and see how he's doing.

Well I'll go ahead and throw my identity out there. My name is Justin Robken and I grew up here in Little Rock and went to the U of A briefly before they said my grades were too bad and asked me to leave and I ended up graduating from ASU. Still a donater and season ticket holder as our family has been since before I was born (34 years ago). Jim and my father were cousins so we are related but not sure what the title would be. I haven't seen Jim in years but I know that he did in fact have a little relationship with one of his graduate students at the U of A and was asked to leave because of it. Ironically they ended up getting married and if I'm not mistaken had a few children and still live in Ruston. I used to play golf with him when I was younger and his demeanor was the same as it was during games. He was definitely an asset to razorback athletics during his time on the hill. After seeing this thread, I may try to contact him and see how he's doing.

Thanks for the story...we all miss him. Tell him if you see him, will ya?

Well I'll go ahead and throw my identity out there. My name is Justin Robken and I grew up here in Little Rock and went to the U of A briefly before they said my grades were too bad and asked me to leave and I ended up graduating from ASU. Still a donater and season ticket holder as our family has been since before I was born (34 years ago). Jim and my father were cousins so we are related but not sure what the title would be. I haven't seen Jim in years but I know that he did in fact have a little relationship with one of his graduate students at the U of A and was asked to leave because of it. Ironically they ended up getting married and if I'm not mistaken had a few children and still live in Ruston. I used to play golf with him when I was younger and his demeanor was the same as it was during games. He was definitely an asset to razorback athletics during his time on the hill. After seeing this thread, I may try to contact him and see how he's doing.

Oh man, that guy would give you chills with his energy. Teams would call time out to catch their breath or stragitize. You'd figure the energy would wain in a time out, but not with him strirring up the place with the William Tell Ovature! God I miss that. I went to school with a couple people who played under him in the Hog Wild Band. I was so jealous, I have to admit. I think I am getting goose bumps right now.

Well I'll go ahead and throw my identity out there. My name is Justin Robken and I grew up here in Little Rock and went to the U of A briefly before they said my grades were too bad and asked me to leave and I ended up graduating from ASU. Still a donater and season ticket holder as our family has been since before I was born (34 years ago). Jim and my father were cousins so we are related but not sure what the title would be. I haven't seen Jim in years but I know that he did in fact have a little relationship with one of his graduate students at the U of A and was asked to leave because of it. Ironically they ended up getting married and if I'm not mistaken had a few children and still live in Ruston. I used to play golf with him when I was younger and his demeanor was the same as it was during games. He was definitely an asset to razorback athletics during his time on the hill. After seeing this thread, I may try to contact him and see how he's doing.

JRMEMPHISHOG!!! GLAD TO HAVE YOU! You go ahead and tell your relative Jim that he is well respected and surely missed among hog fans! I am only 27 years old, but Jim has made one of the most lasting impressions on me as a Hog fan. I loved the win against Tennessee in '98, the 2 recent games we dominated Texas in football, and also the JJ Meadors catch against Alabama. But my parents and I still talk about Jim, and how in Dallas, at Hog pep-rally's, in the middle of The Hyatt hotel parking lot, he used to turn the crowd into a FRENZY!!! People from Texas, SMU, TTECH, A&M, and Houston didn't even come within 100 yards of us! I remember during the Wm. Tell Overature he would have about 200 fans running through the parking lot in Dallas acting like they were on crack!!! Good Times!

He was there for the opening of Bud Walton, and did a thing where he transferred the spirit of Barnhill to Walton arena. Unfortunately I think that spirit left with him. I heard Eddie Sutton talking about him on "The Show With No Name" this morning. He was an awesome motivator.

here is another video I found of Robken leading the band with the song "Rock n Roll pt. 2". This is a killer video! Listen to the crowd when they introduce Lee Mayberry, Arlon Bowers, Oliver Miller, Todd Day, and Isaiah Morris. Then listen to the crowd yell "We're gonna beat the HELL out of YOU!"

My first Senior year, we had the front row/center court seats behind the Press corp. and Orville Henry. We never sat during the games and were hoarse after every game (for days). sometimes, Jim would "High 5" us as he ran by.

I recall one game (I think it was the Home victory over Houston in 83') when we had Joe & Alvin. anyway, in this game, Jim had the fans trained so well that, on the final note of the William Tell Overature, Barnhill would be sooooo loud (the Bands' decibel meter had peaked - and stayed at peak) and all the fans would already be standing up, screaming their heads off.

The fans gave such a tremendous effort that, when Jim ran around the arena, every where he stopped around the court - he didn't have to get anyone to stand up and yell. Not a single section, not a single person, nada! Everyone was already max'd out!

Jim was so pleased and obviously approved. He went back to join the band with a great enthusiasm and a demonstration of extreme approval for the Fans' effort.

The fans continued to maintain the frenzy with his approval and we went on to win the game.

he was here for Nolan too...I think he is still in La Tech...got in a little trouble I think in Ark....not for sure on that though

I believe he was having "relations" with one of his band students and was asked to leave.

I was in the band during those years, and if memory serves, he sorta got into trouble for bringing a former band student (who he was involved with) on a trip with the band on the university's tab (I don't recall if she was a grad student or not). Seems like the Uof A wanted him to pay back her expenses and he said "see ya". It was a bunch of BS, IMHO, besides, the two married.

A lot of what the band plays at games today (football and basketball) was all because of Jim. "Hey Baby" = Jim Robken, "William Tell" = Jim Robken, "hard to be humble" = Jim Robken. And the list goes on and on.....and on. As far as "song" and "cheer" traditions go, no one did more than him.

I love Jim, and will always be grateful for spending 4 years under his direction.

Some may think I'm full of it, but I swear that man helped the hog's pull out a number of close games by getting the fans so riled up. Anyone remember our comeback win against Arkansas State in the first round of the NIT. I got a migraine from yelling (and playing) at that game. JR really got the crowd going.

Dude got us FIRED UP! It was sheer maddness when he ran around during the William Tell Overture. We were whipped into a frenzy & when the noise meter pegged I thought the roof was going to collapse. Good times, good times....I ALWAYS went home unable to talk after the games from yelling my frikin' head off.....